Month: January 2017

If you’re like me, you probably started 2016 with a new vigor for your goals and resolutions. “Get in shape, read more, stress less, move more, spend less, save more.” These are all great goals, but without a plan in place, you might find yourself at the end of the year with none of them accomplished. Looking back on 2016, I’m a bit disappointed in myself reviewing the goals that I didn’t accomplish. I remember reading a book several years ago that talked about all of these areas of our lives that we should all be working on. It seemed so overwhelming! It wasn’t broken down and the whole book just made me feel like giving up. And while I’ve learned about SMART goals over the year, I became a little lazy in my goals telling myself that a little change is better than none. And, while that is true, I lacked the structure that SMART goals can give.

Remember, it is not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at a time. ~Psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD

Now that I realize that change is important (I don’t want 2017 to end the same as 2016), I’m ready to put the structures in place to accomplish my goals this year.

SMART Goals

Specific:

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Time-based

These are the official guidelines for these goals but I need to break it down into what that means for me.

Get in Shape

Like almost everyone, one of my goals is to “Get in Shape.” I’ve been living a healthy lifestyle and I’m very happy with how I’ve maintained my health and fitness. However, I want to kick it up a notch this year. I’d like to go on more hiking trips than I did last year so I need to make sure my muscles are strong to do that.

How can I accomplish this goal?

Specific

I know that I want to build up my muscle strength so I can do more hiking this summer as well as lift more straw bales and gardening equipment. So, my specific goal is to complete the Chalean Extreme workout program that I have access to with my BOD All-Access pack. By the way, I love this because if I feel like switching it up a day here and there, I totally have the option to do so.

Measurable

To measure my goals, I will track them on a calendar. I write down all the workouts I do on a wall calendar. Totally old-school, totally simple – but it’s a great way for me to look back and evaluate my year. I have calendars from the last several years and it’s really interesting to see my patterns over the years.

Attainable

Is this goal attainable? The workouts that I’ve chosen are about 30-40 minutes, so yes this is attainable. I really don’t have any excuses.

Realistic

I know that my days are busy. I acknowledge that a regular workday along with housekeeping, cooking, laundry, dogs, chores is alot but I’ve chosen workouts that are shorter so they are totally realistic.

Time-based

The Chalean Extreme program is 90 days.

What are you doing differently this year?

It’s important to start small and ask for support as you’re working on your goals. I tend to keep my goals inside myself and I think that’s where it’s bit me in the past. When I started joining challenge groups for support and accountability, that’s where I really started to see a consistent trend. Usually during the winter, I let myself go but the last few years I’ve been involved in facebook groups where we talk about our nutrition, our Shakeology recipes, how our workout programs are going and this has really kept me at a base fitness level that I’ve never had before. I don’t worry about being perfect, and I’m not required to, but I am HEALTHY!!! And, that’s what matters.

If you’re interested in joining a great group of friends and accountability partners to help you with your goals in 2017, message me on facebook and we can chat!

In the meantime, use the SMART principles, don’t beat yourself up and keep trying. It’s more important to make one good decision at a time for lasting lifestyle change. Happy 2017:)

Learn about me

Hi - I'm Kia! My journey into health and fitness started naturally. I grew up on a farm, so was used to always being active. I loved helping my dad out in the field or in the barn with the animals. My grandmother had a large garden, so we always ate healthy foods. As I moved away and went to college, I started eating poorly with more convenience foods and fewer whole foods. Now, I'm in my 40s - I stay active with workout programs such as the 21 Day Fix and I eat a healthy diet, with a daily superfood shake(ology) and feel like I am in great shape for my age. My husband and I again live out in the country and keep busy with our animals and garden. It keeps us young! This is more and more important to me as I see family members who I love dearly, lose their independence and mobility as they age. I realize that it's up to me to do everything that I can to lay the foundation for my own independence and mobility as I reach that age. I hope you join me on this journey!